FRIDAY READ — GORE STILL A WONK AT HEART: Today’s must-read piece by Darren Samuelsohn in POLITICO Magazine checks in with Al Gore, who a decade and a half out of the White House has vastly grown his wealth and become a player in Silicon Valley — but is still a policy wonk. The new Al Gore is just as steamed as the old Al Gore about the lack of clear progress in combating global warming, a failure that clearly eats at him. When Darren asked Gore how he would describe his job, he said, “I want to catalyze the emergence of a solution to the climate crisis as quickly as possible. Period.” Read: http://politi.co/1gVAEJu

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PULLQUOTES

“The Koch brothers and the others who operate the way they do have worked overtime to put fear in the hearts of Republicans that if they as much as breathe a favorable breath about solving the climate crisis they’re going to get a well-financed primary opponent. And so they’re all running scared.”

“The addition of John Podesta to the West Wing staff has made a difference. The priority being placed by Secretary Kerry on climate is quite impressive. The activities of the EPA head Gina McCarthy are very impressive. None of this would be happening without a continuing focus by President Obama on this issue. Would I like to see more? Of course I would like to see more. Of course. But I have noticed a significant difference in the first year of his second term. A significant difference.”

“I own a Prius. I own a Lexus hybrid. And I want one of those Teslas. But I don’t have room in my garage for it. I think that’s a very cool car.”

HAPPY FRIDAY and welcome to Morning Energy, where we are all about the Li'l Sebastian hologram. Send your energy news to aguillen@politico.com, and follow on Twitter the whole Pro Energy team: http://bit.ly/Qad8Rb

OBAMA-HARPER RELATIONS MADE FROSTIER BY KXL DELAYS: Bloomberg writes in a long story: “Canada was so blinded by its long-held expectation that the U.S. wanted to buy its oil as much as Canada wanted to sell it that it missed critical cues — including the hydraulic fracturing revolution that was starting to flood the U.S. with vast new energy supplies — that Keystone was running into political trouble. … Even before the Keystone clash, the relationship between Harper, leader of Canada’s Conservative Party, and the Democrat occupying the White House was at best coolly cordial, said officials familiar with the dynamic. Keystone has made it frosty.” Bloomberg: http://bloom.bg/1mKrbMz

SULLIVAN HITS BEGICH ON ENERGY: Alaska Republican Senate candidate Dan Sullivan will go on broadcast television today with an attack on Democratic Mark Begich, saying the incumbent has not stood up aggressively enough to the Obama administration’s energy policies. “Barack Obama and his war on American-made energy is a threat to jobs at places like this all across Alaska,” Sullivan, the frontrunner for the GOP nomination, says in the 30-second spot. “As your attorney general, I fought Obama’s EPA as it tried to shut down Alaska energy production. As natural resources commissioner, I led the fight to protect Alaskan jobs [and] promote Alaskan energy.” Sullivan’s campaign did not disclose the size of the ad buy, but it will run statewide for a week.

JUDGE APPROVES PLAN TO RE-DO CHUKCHI LEASE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: A federal judge yesterday approved a plan to have the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management conduct a new environmental analysis of Chukchi Sea oil and gas leases granted in 2008 to Shell and other companies that was later tossed out by an appeals court. (ME on Monday wrote about the agreement between BOEM, green groups and regulators: http://politico.pro/1hqHEBR). In his order, Judge Ralph Beistline keeps in place suspensions of any drilling activities on the leases, but allows regulators in the meantime to review and exploration plans filed by the leaseholders. The government cannot, however, approve any such plans before the new environmental review is completed and a final decision on the leases is made. Beistline’s order: http://politico.pro/1lK4R5Z

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: EPA chief Gina McCarthy will speak Monday at the National Academy of Sciences "on how EPA progress built on science has been an engine for American prosperity, innovation, and game-changing public health and environmental protections," according to a spokeswoman.

GREENS SUE STATE DEPT. OVER FOIA: The National Wildlife Federation sued the State Department this week over a FOIA request with which the environmental group says the department failed to comply. NWF is seeking documents related to the Portland-Montreal Pipeline, which currently runs oil into Canada. But NWF and others say the owner plans to reverse the flow to bring oil sands petroleum into the U.S. The company denies that it plans to reverse the pipeline. NWF’s complaint, from the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont: http://politico.pro/1puqJUx

CUOMO PUTS $1 BILLION INTO SOLAR PROGRAM: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has dedicated almost $1 billion to NY-Sun, a program to incentivize solar power in the state that has helped install 316 megawatts of photovoltaic capacity since Cuomo launched it in 2012. New York “is attracting private sector investment, creating new economic opportunities and supporting sustainable development,” Cuomo said in a statement. The Public Service Commission also approved an order changing incentive-based solar programs at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to help switch from government-backed programs to market-based programs, according to Cuomo's office.

Related — Cuomo's new power plan: Via the Poughkeepsie Journal: “Gov. Andrew Cuomo today rolled out a plan, called Reforming Energy Vision, to control costs of power with emphasis on cutting demand. The Public Service Commission launched a proceeding to put the pieces together. Features of what Cuomo calls a ‘fundamental shift in utility regulation’ include moving to having utilities actively manage and coordinate a wide range of small generating resources or generating power from many small energy sources and linking them together.” http://pojonews.co/1lLAbBs

EPA, ALLENCO REACH AGREEMENT ON LA OIL FIELD: EPA has reached an agreement with an oil company to improve operations at an oil production field in South Los Angeles that has been the target of health complaints. An EPA inspection last November identified a number of Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act violations at the AllenCo facility. Under the agreement, AllenCo will spend around $700,000 on upgrades to the facility, including certifying a number of pieces of equipment are up to code, implementing new maintenance procedures and re-engineering a production pit trench to stop fluids from being exposed to the atmosphere.

DOE LOAN GUARANTEE RECIPIENT GOES ONLINE: A 250-megawatt concentrating solar power plant that received an $852 million partial loan guarantee from the Energy Department is operating commercially, according to NextEra Energy Resources. The power generated by the Genesis Solar Energy Center, which uses parabolic trough technology to power up to 88,000 homes, will be bought by PG&E. The project is located on 1,950 acres of BLM-controlled land in Riverside County, Calif.

** Which well-intentioned policy actually decimates wetlands, exacerbates hunger and puts engines at serious risk? Would you have guessed: the Renewable Fuel Standard? Learn more about the damages caused by these ethanol mandates across America, and the world, at http://smarterfuelfuture.org/brokenpromises

IN TODAY’S FEDERAL REGISTER: DOE is officially seeking input on its draft loan guarantee solicitation for renewable and energy efficiency projects. DOE released the proposal, which would make up to $4 billion in financing available, last week and published the agency’s request for comment in today’s Federal Register. Technically, DOE’s loan office has $3 billion in authority for renewable energy projects but today’s notice says the agency may provide $2.5 billion in loan guarantee authority plus “an additional amount that can be imputed based on the availability of an appropriation for the credit subsidy cost of such imputed loan guarantee authority.” If the draft-to-final solicitation turnaround for DOE fossil energy solicitation is any guide, the final renewable and efficiency solicitation ought to be out by September, and earlier than that seems likely. DOE has already held two public meetings to discuss the draft (the next one is Monday, on the George Mason University-Arlington campus) and will have at least six meetings total. Draft solicitation: http://1.usa.gov/1ijpmy5. FR notice: http://1.usa.gov/1hrb2Ik. Public meeting schedule: http://1.usa.gov/1tI8Otd

IN NEXT WEEK'S FEDERAL REGISTER: The Bureau of Land Management is considering setting up a program to capture or destroy the waste methane generated from coal and mineral mines on federal lands. The agency will take public comment on the idea for 60 days starting on Tuesday. FR notice: http://1.usa.gov/1nJW1SP

MAJORITY SUPPORT EPA RULE FOR EXISTING PLANTS IN POLL: Nearly two in three Americans support a policy to set strict carbon dioxide emissions limits on existing coal-fired power plants, even as "the cost of electricity to consumers and companies would likely increase," according to a new survey from the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication and George Mason University. 64 percent of those surveyed supported a policy described that way, while 35 percent oppose. While the gap was even wider among Democrats (80/19), among Republicans 56 percent oppose such a policy while 43 percent support it. More: http://bit.ly/QC5gtk

FROM ME’S MAILBAG: The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association is backing several House GOP bills amending the Endangered Species Act. “Electric cooperatives support reforms to make the ESA more efficient, effective, and less costly, with the goal of finding a balance that accommodates essential economic activities,” CEO Jo Ann Emerson writes: http://politico.pro/1pusDVo

RAY, WHEN SOMEONE ASKS YOU IF YOU'RE AN ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATOR, YOU SAY YES! EconPop celebrates the 30th anniversary of "Ghostbusters" by arguing that the real villain of the movie is EPA. Via the Pacific Legal Foundation blog: http://bit.ly/1tHCWVr

QUICK HITS

— Iran will cut subsidies for its already-cheap gasoline this week, testing the patience of citizens looking for economic recovery. Washington Post: http://wapo.st/1jIvAZG

— The Tom Steyer's super PAC got $10,050 in the first quarter during its search for $100 million, but organizers say the money will start rolling in soon. Bloomberg: http://bloom.bg/1f7XBOI

— The American Wind Energy Association fires back at critics of the production tax credit: http://bit.ly/1idFZjH

THAT’S ALL FOR ME. So who would regulate the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man?

PRO CYBERSECURITY launches Wednesday, May 14 on POLITICO Pro with real-time news and sharp analysis on cybersecurity policy issues that matter most, such as the cybersecurity ofelectricity-grid networks and protection ofenergy-services computer infrastructure. Want to know what the #ProsKnow? Email us at Ene.Info@politicopro.com.

** It's tough to determine the most destructive impact of the ethanol mandates found in the Renewable Fuel Standard. Plowing under enough conservation land to cover Everglades, Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks? Check. Converting enough corn to feed 570 million people into fuel? Check. Voiding auto warranties and causing small engine manufacturers to print warning labels on their products? Check and check. Making these problems worse every year since final passage in 2007? Check check check check check. The one good thing the RFS has accomplished? Bringing together more than 40 wildly diverse interests — from farmers to environmentalists to boaters and beyond — to assure everyone understands the true scale of the problem. Learn more about the damage being caused by the RFS ethanol mandate at http://smarterfuelfuture.org/brokenpromises

** A message from Vet Voice Foundation: Tens of thousands of service members and veterans rely on public lands to hunt, fish, camp and heal from the wounds of war. These lands are part of the American heritage we fought for. As a new President and Congress look to rebuild America's infrastructure, we call on them to make an equal investment in maintaining our public lands and parks for our service members and all Americans. Support for our veterans must extend to investing in and protecting America’s natural heritage, for our children and grandchildren. www.VetVoiceFoundation.org **

Authors:

About The Author

Alex Guillén is an energy reporter for POLITICO Pro, where he covers EPA, regulations and coal, as well as lobbying and campaign finance in the energy realm. He previously wrote the Morning Energy newsletter. He graduated from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va., with a degree in anthropology and English. He is an avid reader and TV binger. The Delawarean, thrilled that there are finally Capriotti’s outposts in Washington, lives in Alexandria, Va.